Chevy Bolt EV Forum banner
  • Hey Guest, welcome to ChevyBolt.org. We encourage you to register to engage in conversations about your Bolt.

Level 2 charger

42K views 57 replies 29 participants last post by  atc98092 
#1 ·
I have a new 2020 Bolt with the internal fast charger capability. What are the advantages of buying a level 2 charger versus simply using a 200/240 volt outlet. Apologies if this has been addressed before.
 
#2 ·
@Stevechssc a level 2 charger cord (technically the charger is in the car that converts AC to DC) will allow you to get the full 32 amps that the Bolt's on board charger can handle. The level 2 unit will require a 240V hookup either by an outlet or hardwired. The other advantage to buying a third-party level 2 unit is the Bolt's supplied charge cord requires an adapter (which someone could misuse) and is only placarded to run on 120V.

Installing a DC fast charger is not a normal residential install.
 
#3 ·
Copied from the Chevy homepage:

Recommended available 240-volt/32-amp charging unit
Offers about 25 miles of range per hour of charge time† and is the fastest way to charge at home (professional installation required).

Available DC Fast Charging
Offers about 100 miles of range in around 30 minutes of charge time† and is available for public use.
 
#4 ·
Your quesion is a bit confusing. A level 2 "charger" uses a 240V outlet. Just a brief recap to clarify...

The "internal fast charger capability" is generally called DCFC: DC Fast Charge. It uses a connector system called CCS Combo. It's a combination of a standard J1772 connector (round 5 pins on the top of the connector) coupled with two DC power pins underneath. Typically DCFC is strictly used for public charging, with very few (and very expensive) options for residential.

"Level 2" uses the Bolt's onboard charger. As XJ12 pointed out it has a maximum capacity of 7.6 kW which is 240V@32A. Note that "Level 2" always implies that the voltage delivered to the onboard charger is at 240V. "Level 1" is charging at 120V.

Virtually every new EV owner chomps at the bit to buy a high powered Level 2 EVSE to install at home to charge their shiny new gizmo. But often it's massive overkill. Typically the maximum charge speed of the EVSE is designed to recharge the battery from empty to full overnight, regaining a range of up to 250 miles. People rarely drive that much on a daily basis. Unless that EVSE is going to be the absolute only way to recharge the car under all circumstances, a more measured approach is typically warranted.

Your car comes with an EVSE. It's in the back. It plugs into a 120V socket and recharge 30-40 miles overnight. In addition that EVSE can be plugged into a 240V circuit and deliver twice the number of miles. The two levels cost nothing more than getting the EVSE out the back of the Bolt and plugging it into the approrpriate circuit. I always advise testing with the OEM EVSE first to see if it meets your needs. I have a Fiat 500e, and I'm going 3 years in using the OEM EVSE at 120V as my daily charger.

Of course if you determine that there are frequent enough situations where fast charging is needed at home, then go ahead and upgrade your EVSE to a 32A Level 2. All I'm saying is that a lot of folks end up jumping the gun and spending a lot of money on something that is rarely actually used.

ga2500ev
 
#5 ·
ga2500ev provided a great analysis & summary!

I'd like to add one other consideration to the discussion, that being battery heating and/or cooling. The original equipment EVSE at 120 volt can deal with it, but charging time will be impacted. Using it at 240 volts might well be enough for most.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just bought a Bolt and ordered this:

EV Charging Station Level 2, Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station (25Ft/32A,220V -240V,NEMA 14-50, SAE J1772) for All Electric Vehicles (NEMA 14-50)


it arrived yesterday, electrician coming soon. Hope it works out.
Do note that the seller, via the product questions section, writes that this EVSE can be plugged into a household dryer circuit. Not only "NO!" but "HE|| NO!" I see no mention in product details that this EVSE can be "throttled" down to lower currents than 32A. Plugging a 32A EVSE into a 30A dryer circuit is asking to burn your house down. I made these "corrections" to the Amazon questions and answers section.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
I bought my 2019 Bolt about a month ago. The week I bought the car, Costco had a Level 2 EVSE on sale for $239 (normally $279, I think). I bought it mainly because I wanted to keep one EVSE plugged in at home, and wanted another one to keep in the back of the car. I've now had the Level 2 charger for a month - in the back of my Bolt - and haven't used it yet.

The EVSE that came with the car has met my needs just fine for my driving around town, and has remained plugged in next to my driveway. I anticipate using the Level 2 EVSE when winter is over and I begin pulling my small boat to weekends on a lake about 90 miles from home. I could carry the Chevy-provided charger to the lake, but I'm too lazy to unplug it and put it in the car every time I go there, and I like the reassurance of knowing there's one always in the back of the car.
 
#9 ·
I bought my 2019 Bolt about a month ago. The week I bought the car, Costco had a Level 2 EVSE on sale for $239 (normally $279, I think). ...

I anticipate using the Level 2 EVSE when winter is over and I begin pulling my small boat to weekends on a lake about 90 miles from home. I could carry the Chevy-provided charger to the lake, but I'm too lazy to unplug it and put it in the car every time I go there, and I like the reassurance of knowing there's one always in the back of the car.
Make sure to verify that where you are staying at the lake has an appropriate 240V circuit for you to plug the L2 EVSE into before depending on it for the trip.

ga2500ev
 
#10 ·
Something I haven't read above is how light (gauge) the supplied charger is. It's just 16 gauge and even at 12 amps (120) it gets quite warm. I had purchased the "pigtail" adapter to plug it into a 240V outlet. At 240 V there is no option to control amps (8 or 12) like at 120, and the supplied cord I believe is programmed to put out 16 amps at 240V. At that level the cord gets uncomfortably hot. So I bought a 16 amp 240V charge cord (Duosida on Amazon) for about $200. It has a 12 gauge cord that can handle the 16 amps much better. That enables me to fully recharge overnight. It has worked perfectly these last 3 years for my 2017 Bolt.
 
#11 ·
The OEM cord always provides 12A whether the voltage is 120V or 240V. The 8A/12A selection is in the Bolt itself, not the EVSE. The OEM EVSE never offers 16A under any circumstance.

It may get warm, but it's at 12A. 16 gauge wire has a 75C ampacity of 15A. So the wire gauge is appropriate.


ga2500ev
 
#13 ·
Isn't the EVSE suppose to detect what the outlet can supply? Meaning if connected to a dryer outlet, it outputs 24A?

Would still be nice if we can adjust the charge rate from the car, like Tesla.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
What are the advantages of buying a level 2 charger versus simply using a 200/240 volt outlet. Apologies if this has been addressed before.
Based on ave commuter miles here is my take on all of this below. The first three lines are all possible on the Chevy EVSE.

  • 110v 8a- You must be super diligent and plug in every single time you are home.
  • 110v 12a- You must be diligent daily but you can get away with only night rate charging.
  • 240v 12a- You can get away with only charging every other day or every 3rd day even with off rate only charging.
  • 240v 32a- You can be a lazy bum and forget to plug in pretty much any time and still be fine.
 
#29 ·
Based on ave commuter miles here is my take on all of this below. The first three lines are all possible on the Chevy EVSE.

110v 8a- You must be super diligent and plug in every single time you are home.

110v 12a- You must be diligent daily but you can get away with only night rate charging.

240v 12a- You can get away with only charging every other day or every 3rd day even with off rate only charging.

240v 32a- You can be a lazy bum and forget to plug in pretty much any time and still be fine.
So far with the slow included charger i will only need to charge a tiny bit each week since i only drive 50 miles a week. Would have gone with a L2 charger but not paying for a new breaker box as that is what i need.
 
#25 ·
I purchased a level two for my house. Previously I had two lease return Leafs. Think I paid 350 online. I had a friend run a plug in my garage where I wanted to set my charger up. He charged me 75.00. For the Leafs it took ~4hrs. To charge, my 2020 Bolt takes a little longer, but my wife only charges once a week. We just got our EVgo fast charge cards. They work great it you are on an extended trip, stop for lunch and by the time you get back, you will be good to go. (45/60 minutes)
 
#33 ·
Welcome Stevechssc,
Since the Bolt is internally programmed to accept a max charge at 230 volts at 32 Amps, I had my electrician put a 40 amp breaker in my new garage circuit panel, and then run a 4 prong 230 volt Female plug just below the box.
I then ordered a 32 Amp 230 volt charger from J. A. Daniell, Made in the USA, at:
It can be hard wired into your control panel, or ordered with any plug you want to make it portable. I got it with the plug that all Washington State campgrounds use for RV hookup. Excellent quality and it just works, under $300!
I get between 25 to 31 miles per hour of charge time while plugged in. Easy peasy!
I installed the Level 2 charger inside my garage to protect it from theft. I cut out a lockable access door to the carport and then the charge cord can be used inside or out. If anybody steals the coed, no biggie, they are cheap to replace. If they break into my garage, I will be notified by video cam, and it won't be a good day for them.
Photograph Fixture Wood Line Wood stain
Photograph Fixture Wood Line Wood stain
 
#36 ·
I guess the 2017 didn't come with an onboard charger? With the 2022 Bolt EV, all I need to do is get the dual level cord that is standard with the EUV, plug it into a 220/240 volt outlet, and the car will charge @ 25 miles per hour, right?( maybe at less amperage, but still charging plenty)
 
#39 ·
To both ga 2500ev and atc98092; Thanks very helpful. Ga--earlier in this thread didn't you say that 240v/12amp will give me twice the charge that a 120v/12amp will(8-10 miles per hour of charging)? I'm going to have to enlarge my breaker box anyway, so If I put in a 240v circuit with 16amp breakers, wont that give me about 80-100 miles of charge in a night? Which would be plenty. Im going to try the 120V first, but I'm thinking more about the winters here in N mich, and I may need a 240V circuit. Do I really need a separate EVSE?
 
#40 ·
Do I really need a separate EVSE?
Depends on your charging needs. 240v/16a is 3.8 kW. That means (not accounting for charging losses) in ten hours you can put 38 kW into the battery. Add in some charging loss and you'll be at 35 kW or less. That's about half the Bolt's battery capacity. So if you need to add more than half the battery capacity on a regular basis, or need it faster than 10-12 hours, you need more than 16 amps. I think a 32 amp EVSE would be sufficient for you, and that would take a 40 amp circuit. Honestly, a 16 amp EVSE isn't going to be much cheaper than a 32 amp unit, and the cost for the wiring would also be almost the same. The 2022 Bolt EV and EUV both support up to 48 amps on 240v, but I believe a 32 amp unit would be enough for ya.

The EV does not come with the same EVSE as the EUV, so it's not capable of 240v/32 amps. So if you get an EUV, you don't need to get a new EVSE. Also don't forget that GM is offering to install a 240v 40 amp outlet and breaker in your garage at no cost (although I'm sure there's limits to the amount they'll cover).
 
#41 ·
Now I'm confused. From what you are saying, if I want to charge the new 2022 EV with 240V , I need a separate charger than what comes on the with the car. What help is GM's installatiom of 240v 40 amp OUTLET if I need a separate EVSE(charger, right?) I was thinking I could just get the dual cord (240 and 110) and charge my 2022 Bolt EV on either cord, as long as I had the OUTLETS. The 240 V would charge twice as fast as the 110v.
 
#42 ·
The EV does not come with the same EVSE as the EUV. The EUV EVSE is rated at 32 amps on 240v, and comes with a dual plug adapter. The EVSE that comes with the EV is rated at 12 amps on 120v. It does not come with a 240v connection adapter. I don't know if it's officially rated for 240v. Some Level 1 EVSEs are rated for 240v, most are not, although even those will usually work at 240v. But it's outside their official spec. They just aren't officially supported at that voltage. If it's not rated for 240v, it's going to be limited to 12 amps. If it is 240v rated, it might be rated as high as 16 amps, but that would be the limit.

Yes, using the factory Level 1 EVSE on 240v will charge the battery twice as fast as on 120v. But it's still quite slow. 12 amps at 240v is only 2.88 kW, so ten hours of charging would put around 25 kW back into the battery, or a bit more than 1/3 of the battery capacity. So it really depends on your charging needs. Also remember that EV batteries like an occasional 100% charge (at least monthly) to help maintain battery cell balance. Using the factory EVSE will take a long time to reach 100% (even on 240v), depending on the battery level when charging started.
 
#51 ·
The EV does not come with the same EVSE as the EUV. The EUV EVSE is rated at 32 amps on 240v, and comes with a dual plug adapter. The EVSE that comes with the EV is rated at 12 amps on 120v. It does not come with a 240v connection adapter.
I'm confused by the 120v @ 240v comments here, especially the one above. I'm on the chevy site and I'm looking at the Dual Level Charge Cord. The description reads:

"Plug into a standard 120 volt three-prong outlet for Level 1 charging or change ends to plug into a 240-volt NEMA 14-50 outlet and charge at up to 7.7kW Level 2 charging."

So, how do I get 240v @ 12a?
 
#43 ·
So if I want to go with 240 v charging, the best route is a new 240v charger. If GM installs the 240 outlet and 40 amp breaker, Id be set. Do you think its a good idea to start with the supplied 110 v 12amp and just top up the battery to 100% at DCFC station that we have in town? Then, if I feel that I need more miles out of my garage, I can buy the 240v charger, as GM already installed the outlet and breaker for me. Thanks for being patient. You can probably tell I'm a newbie to EVs.
 
#45 ·
I see some confusion, lets see if we can sort it out.

There is DC charging (public CCS chargers) and AC charging. When you supply AC to the car, an on board inverter converts it to DC to store in the pack, so effectively you are not going to by a charger for home, you are going to supply a slightly more sophisticated extension cord. Therefore, the equipment you use, or buy, to charge your EV is referred to as EV Supply Equipment (EVSE).

Home wiring needs to be installed with more Amp capacity than the car will draw, it is a constant load (as opposed to other appliances that run for relatively short durations like dryers and ranges). The code suggest constant loads be no more than 80% of the circuit's rated capacity. So, a 40A circuit can handle 32A, etc. Circuits are made up of outlets, wires and breakers, all need to be rated for the amount of current (amps) that will be using it. These are generally installed as 15A or 20A for 120V circuits, and 30A, 40A, 50A, etc for 240V circuits.

You can always plug a lower rated device into a higher rated circuit provided you have the right plug or adapters. A 16A EVSE could be used on a 30, 40, 50, 60 or even higher rated circuit, but the reverse is not true, you cannot use a 32A device on a 30A circuit, it would trip the breaker, or worse cause a fire.

There is a price difference for EVSE that roughly follows the max Amp capabilities. A 16A unit will typically cost less than 32A, etc.

To understand the charging rate of an EVSE, use the formula V * A = W or V * A = W/1000 = kW. So:

120 * 8 = .96kW
120 * 12 = 1.44kW
240 * 12 = 2.88kW
240 * 16 = 3.84kW
240 * 24 = 5.76kW
240 * 30 = 7.20kW
240 * 32 = 7.68kW
etc.

Since the Bolt pack capacity is 66 kWh (after the replacement pack on older Bolts), the time to charge from 0-100% is 66/kW from the above chart. So at 8A on the stock 120V cord, 66/.96 = about 69 hours to charge to full. Obviously, you will rarely, if ever do 0-100% charging, so the math will get a little more complicated, but the idea remains.

The trick then becomes figuring out the minimum charging speed you will need for average daily use, forget about the occasional use differences for now. So, if you need 40 miles a day of range to keep the pack "fully" charged, you would need about 10 kWh of charging assuming your efficiency remains around the EPA rated efficiency for the car. That would mean 10-12 hours on 120V, but only 1-2 hours with a 32A (7.68kW) EVSE.

Next, consider utility pricing, if you pay lower rates in late evening/early morning, then you want to reduce charging times to fit in the off-peak rate period, so a faster charger might cost more up front, but might pay for itself in utility savings over time. Even if you don't have tiered pricing, it might be wise to avoid peak hours charging, if we all charged in peak hours, utilities would be screaming and jacking up our rates.

Finally, consider the frequency of exceptions. If you plan on frequent long weekend trips and arriving home with a low charge level, you might want a faster charger so your work week starts off at or near full charge. If trips will be rare, don't bother, just employ an alternate strategy like DCFC at the end of your trip up to 60-70%, then top off using your regular daily routine.

Seasonally (an areas with 4 seasons), efficiency will rise in summer, drop in winter. In extreme desert areas, opposite, drop in summer, rise in winter. Basically, sustained temps outside of 60-80F will take a toll on efficiency, as much as 40-50% in subzero, and maybe 10-20% in 120F. So, your daily charging routine might be wise to consider these fluctuations as they will mean additional kWh consumed on your daily routine and thus higher overnight demand.

When choosing an EVSE, avoid cheap, especially cheap Chinese knockoffs. You spend good money on an EV, why skimp on the EVSE? The difference will only be $100-200 in most cases, but a good quality EVSE is worth a premium price, for any number of reasons you could find from horror stories on various forums.

Use the forum to get feedback, among the nearly 14K users on this forum, it is highly likely any EVSE you want to consider will be in use by someone here. Amazon is a good place to start, you can find almost all EVSE brands there, along with reviews.
 
#44 ·
No problem :D The issue with using DCFC to "top off" is that they have a serious taper in charging power after reaching 80%. This is common to virtually all EVs, not specific to the Bolt. That last 20% can take longer than it took from 10-80%. And if someone is waiting for you to finish so they can charge, they won't be happy about it. DC charging really isn't designed for fully charging an EV. It's designed to get as many miles added to the EV as quickly as possible to get you down the road to the next charger. The batteries really can't handle full speed charging to 100% without serious side effects, mostly battery degradation. That's why you'll see most people talking about fast charging between 20-80%, as that's pretty much the sweet spot of charging. With future battery breakthroughs, that will likely change. But for current batteries, that's life in the EV world.

Absolutely get GM to install the outlet and breaker, regardless if you're going to immediately buy a 240v EVSE. Use the factory 120v EVSE and see how it fits your needs, and then you can decide what you really need. If the factory EVSE isn't enough, you can always hit a public Level 2 or DC station to keep you filled up until you decide what EVSE you want to get.

Don't fixate on the cost of a 240v EVSE. The price varies wildly based on several factors, such as UL rating, and additional features like WiFi and app support. You can take your time to decide what you really need.
 
#47 ·
I’m going to disagree with those here who say 240 volt dryer outLet is only twice as fast as the 120 using the GM supplied EVSE. When I plug into my dryer outlet with adapters I routinely get 21 miles of range per hour plugged in…. Doing it for past 1 year and 5 months. No issues and cord same temperature as when plugging into a 110 outlet at my second house.
 
#56 ·
No, there's no issue using an EVSE that's rated higher than the car's onboard charger. They communicate with each other, and neither will exceed what the other can support.

But what year/model of Bolt do you have? If it's a 2022, it supports 48 amps, not 32.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ninnjinn
#58 ·
Yes, your 2022 supports 48 amps. The optional EVSE that can be ordered with the car (it comes standard with the EUV) only supports 32 amps, but the car supports 48, so you'll be able to charge at the full 11.5 kW rate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ninnjinn
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top